


Bloody Neighbors

by Projext



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Frank Castle - Freeform, Punisher - Freeform, Smut, f/m - Freeform, punisher smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-25 00:40:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17111165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Projext/pseuds/Projext
Summary: When a practicing nurse meets the bloodiest man in Hells Kitchen, will she be able to stop the pain or will she come face to face with her own?





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

Walking along the streets of Hells Kitchen at 3:30 in the morning was not on my agenda. But after being laid off from the only job I’ve had in 5 years and finding out my boyfriend of 3 years cheated on me with someone half my size really made me want some fresh air after my last shift. Why the fuck did I decide to become a nurse? Oh right, saving people. 

Adorning lilac scrubs, Skechers and a messy top knot paired with an old jacket I managed to fit in after college, I walked until my feet started hurting. 

Past the homeless people sleeping in this godforsaken weather, past the corner store that had more cameras than it did square footage. I even walked past my favorite diner, the one where they serve waffles at all hours and coffee that wasn’t too sweet. Man I could go for some coffee. 

I stopped walking soon after I passed the diner and made a U-turn, heading straight into the small place that felt like home and looked like hell. Horrible lighting, torn and ripped seats, checkered everything and bright neon signs that really made me want to throw up. But the waitresses were always sweet. 

A little blonde girl, Candice, came bounding from the back of the diner with a smile on her face and some pep in her step. 

“What can I do for you today y/n?” She asked, already sliding her notepad from her apron pocket with a pen attached to it that was already clicked. 

“Cup of coffee please, black.” 

She returned the notepad and pen with a small sigh, “today’s been hard huh? No food?” She asked with a worried look on her face. 

For someone as young as she was, she was a decent human being. Always worried about others, even when she barely knew them. 

“I’ll take some waffles to go, too. God knows I won’t be making breakfast in the morning.” 

She patted my back shortly and went around to pour me the cup of sweet heaven. 

“Y’know, you just missed Frank.” She said whilst pouring the cup and sliding it over to me. 

“Is that so?” I asked swirling my finger in the cup seeing how hot it was. 

She nodded curtly, “yeah, he didn’t say anything. Not like that’s new.” She said looking slight disappointed. 

I’d lived next to Frank Castle for a few years now and to say he was quiet was an understatement. He didn’t look like the shy type at all. He seemed like words just weren’t part of who he was, so he went most days and nights in silence. I’ve seen him come home a few times looking worse for wear so I’ve always kept an eye out for him. Even if I’ve never spoken to the man before. 

I turned to Candice with the cup in my hand, “how’d he look?” 

She sighed, “couple bruises, a black eye and not limping. I’d say tonight was easy on him.” 

Candice and I had formed quite the bond all because of Frank. She was watching over him too, like I was. We first met in the diner. She was serving me a burger late at night when he stumbled in with a beaten face and a five dollar bill mumbling “coffee, black”. We gave each other a look and ever since then, we’ve watched. 

I shrugged, “he’s looked worse.” 

“Being who he is, I’m surprised he isn’t dead yet.” Candice said nonchalantly, leaning against the counter. 

“Watch it, don’t wanna wish that man anymore bad luck now.” I sipped the coffee. 

“You’re right, are you gonna go check on him tonight?” She asked, still leaning. 

I shook my head, “the walls are thin, if he’s in trouble I’ll hear it from my place.” 

I finished my cup and slid it over to her with a twenty, whilst snatching my box of waffles, “keep the change, you’ll need it if you wanna be able to afford that car you talked about last week.” 

She smiled and gave me a heartfelt thank you as I walked out of the diner, towards my apartment with the paper thin walls. 

I slid the key into the lock and opened the door to my studio apartment I had managed to turn into a home. The walls needed paint but the furniture was cute. Enough color for me and some fairy lights dangling from the windows made this place cozy and cute. I put away the waffles, shrugged off my clothes and showered, washing off the shit of the world and sliding into bed with nothing but an oversized t-shirt on. 

Knowing I wouldn’t be working tomorrow made sleep come easier because every alarm I set was off and so was my phone. I had saved enough to keep rent covered for months, but leaves nothing for me to spend along the way. 

I’ll be fine, I always am. 

~~ 

The sound of busy streets and construction knocked me out of my sleep and I stumbled to the fridge, looking for the waffles I had so carelessly thrown into the fridge. 

Shoving my mouth with food, I switched on the news only to be greeted with a barrage of carnage.

“A bomb detonated on the upper east side in a parking garage, no one knows who did it or who the bomb was originally for. The total damages are 10 dead, 20 wounded and over 3 million in property damages.” The reporter announced casually, almost causing mento spit out my food. 

A loud knock echoed through my apartment and I look at the door wearily before the knock came again, with more vigor this time. I shuffled to the door and carefully opened it, ready to slam it if needed. 

There stood Frank Castle, almost covered in blood, gashes randomly placed along his skin and gripping his left arm. He looked at the ground and spoke, never looking into my eyes. 

“You’re a nurse right?” He spoke gruffly, out of breath and wincing every second. 

“Yeah?” I answered curiously. 

“Can you help me?” He asked quickly, almost waiting for me to say no. 

I stepped aside, ushering him into my apartment before looking around the hallways to make sure no one was around to witness this event. 

I then shut and locked the door.


	2. The Start

Chapter 2:

“Frank, what happened?” I asked as he limped over to my couch, sitting down with a big exhale. 

“You saw the news.” He said grimly, nodding to the television that was still playing the horrific aftermath of whatever Castle managed to get himself into. 

“Yeah, no shit I saw the news. Did you do that?” I moved over to him and sat across from him on the coffee table. I snatched the remote from the couch and turned the television off without looking. 

“I didn’t.” He answered, still clutching his arm. 

“Good. Stay here while I get my first aid kit.” I looked him over once more before searching for the first aid kit. When I found it, I returned to him so see him in the same spot with the same look of regret on his face. 

“Let me see your arm.” I pointed to the limb with little emotion, being a nurse prepared me for shit like this. I wasn’t phased and neither was he as he removed the arm covering the wound. 

“Clean through.” He said, referring to the obvious bullet wound he had been covering earlier. 

I opened the kit and began working on him. Stitching up the wound quickly, making sure not to leave any scarring, and disinfecting the various cuts and scrapes. He didn’t say anything or show any pain whilst I was patching up the mightiest hero known to man. I knew he’d been hurt far worse than this, which I have to admit made me feel a little sad that I wasn’t there for him during those times. But I didn’t know him then either so I guess I should be sad about it- 

“Y/n?” Frank yanked me from my thoughts, finally looking into my eyes after what felt like hours of sulking. I just finished cleaning a nasty cut on his left collarbone when he spoke. 

“Yeah?” I answered curiously. 

“Thank you.” He almost whispered, I had to lean in to fully understand what he said. 

I let a small smile slip through and put the first aid it back together, “no problem, Frank. If you ever need me to put Humpty Dumpty back together again, you know where to find me.” 

He let out a small chuckle before finally standing and walking towards my door. Before he could leave he turned to me with an almost teasing smirk, “y’know, I don’t think hospitals would let you work on patients while not wearing pants.” 

I completely forgot I didn’t put clothes on before answering the door. I was still in just a t-shirt. I shrugged off my embarrassment, “this hospital is a little bit different.” I gave him a smirk of my own and opened my door, ushering him out. 

He walked towards his door down the hall and muttered a “see ya later doc” before disappearing into his own abode. 

I closed my door and released a sigh loud enough for him to hear inside his own apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. I don’t know where I'm going with this yet but I know where I want to end. *wink*


	3. Micro Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Micro expresses his issues with the reader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to add this on this chapter since I’ll forget to do it later. This isn’t a Frank/David fic. It’s Frank/reader. I added the Frank/Davis tag because they have a platonic relationship in this piece. I’ve seen a lot of fics that do the same and I thought to add it because they weren’t going to act like strangers and I wanted David in my writing as well. Sorry if this confused a few of you.

Chapter 3: 

The next few weeks went by the same. Frank would come knocking and I’d answer. I’d fix him up willingly, let him stay for as long as he needed, fed him, and let him go off yet again. I hadn’t told him anything about myself because he never asked, but it worked the same on his side. I didn’t want to know exactly what he did because it wasn’t my business. 

But tonight it became my business. 

I was in my apartment wrapped up in a robe watching a movie idly when I heard something interesting coming from the direction of Frank’s apartment. I usually heard strange things like grunts of pain and heavy footsteps painted in agony but this was different. Multiple sets of footsteps and a lot of shushing. 

Like a normal person would, I pressed my ear to the wall to understand more of what was going on. It was around ten at night and Frank was usually out and doing whatever he does that warrants injury. But I could tell he was home by his faint tone of voice. He was talking to someone else, another man by the sound of his voice, the same deep grumbling but more sure of whatever he was saying by the speed of it. 

“You can’t keep doing this Frank, we can’t keep this up. The longer we do this, the more fucked up it all gets.” The man spoke, obviously irritated. 

“You think I don’t know that Micro? You think I don’t know when shits bad? No. Don’t look at the ground, you look at me.” Frank spoke to the unknown man, now named Micro. 

A couple hurried steps in one direction told me that someone had stepped closer to the other, probably Frank stepping closer to Micro. 

“Frank what are you-“ 

“I need you. I need you with me just like I need her. You’ve been there longer, I know but she is just as important as you are. I don’t need you getting all riled up because of her. Both of you do different things for me and I appreciate you both. You give me the information I need to get the job done and you are there with me when I do them. She helps me afterwards. Don’t hate me for using you both because you both do different things and you know that.” Frank spoke in a hurried tone, sounding almost desperate. 

There was a pause followed by a small sigh, “I know that Frank. Trust me, I do. You know I don’t trust her at all. A strange woman who happens to look after you and asks almost no questions at all sounds sketchy. She doesn’t ask you for anything, hasn’t made any advances, hasn’t don’t anything threatening or suspicious. Even her record is clean. Something isn’t right Frank. I want you to stay away from her until we know more about her. I know you probably won’t listen to me but just keep in mind what I said.” 

There was an awkward pause and a shuffling of feet as I heard the door open. 

“Micro you don’t have to-“ 

“I’ve gotta get going Frank. I’ll call you.” The door shut and the footsteps passed in front of my door and down the hall. There was a loud sigh and a small ‘fuck’ coming from frank. 

I took my ear from the wall and retreated back to the movie playing, almost finishing up now. With a sigh of my own, I laid back on the couch and closed my eyes, letting sleep take me before the stress did.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m completely new to this whole writing process and decided to start with my favorite vigilante. Please give me feedback, I’d love to know what y’all think.


End file.
